Association between widespread pain and psychosocial factors in people with knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study of patients from primary care in Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between psychosocial factors and bodily pain in people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is unclear. PURPOSE: To examine whether widespread pain was associated with poorer self-efficacy, more anxiety, depression, and kinesiophobia in people with KOA. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on data from Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark (GLA:D®). The association between widespread pain (multiple pain sites) and self-efficacy (Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale), anxiety and depression (item from the EQ-5D-5 L), and kinesiophobia (yes/no) was examined using multiple linear tobit or logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 19,323 participants, 10% had no widespread pain, 37% had 2 pain sites, 26% had 3-4 pain sites, and 27% had ≥5 pain sites. Widespread pain was associated with poorer self-efficacy (-0.9 to -8.3 points), and the association was stronger with increasing number of pain sites (p-value <.001). Significant increasing odds ratios (ORs) were observed for having anxiety or depression with 3-4 pain sites (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12; 1.49) and ≥5 pain sites (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.56; 2.07). Having 2 and 3-4 pain sites were associated with lower odds of kinesiophobia compared to having no widespread pain. CONCLUSION: Widespread pain was associated with lower self-efficacy and more anxiety and depression but also lower kinesiophobia in people with KOA.

Use of prescribed analgesics before and after exercise therapy and patient education in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis.

The aim of this study was to investigate utilisation patterns of prescribed analgesics before, during, and after an exercise therapy and patient education program among patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis. This cohort study is based on data from the nationwide Good Life with osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA:D®) patient-register linked with national health registries including data on prescribed analgesics. GLA:D® consists of 8-12 weeks of exercise and patient education. We included 35,549 knee/hip osteoarthritis patients starting the intervention between January 2013 and November 2018. Utilisation patterns the year before, 3 months during, and the year after the intervention were investigated using total dispensed defined daily doses (DDDs) per month per 1000 population as outcome. During the year before the intervention, use of prescribed paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioids increased with 85%, 79% and 22%, respectively. During the intervention, use of paracetamol decreased with 16% with a stable use the following year. Use of NSAIDs and opioids decreased with 38% and 8%, respectively, throughout the intervention and the year after. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the prescription of most analgesics changed over time. For paracetamol, NSAIDs, and opioids, 10% of analgesic users accounted for 45%, 50%, and 70%, respectively, of the total DDDs dispensed during the study period. In general, analgesic use increased the year before the intervention followed by a decrease during the intervention and the year after. A small proportion of analgesic users accounted for half or more of all paracetamol, NSAIDs, and opioids dispensed during the study period.

Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for the degenerative meniscus tear: a comparison of patients included in RCTs and prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Concerns exist regarding the generalizability of results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) to treat degenerative meniscus tears. It has been suggested that study populations are not representative of subjects selected for surgery in daily clinical practice. Therefore, we aimed to compare patients included in trials and prospective cohort studies that received APM for a degenerative meniscus tear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Individual participant data from 4 RCTs and 2 cohort studies undergoing APM were collected. 1,970 patients were analyzed: 605 patients included in RCTs and 1,365 included in the cohorts. We compared patient and disease characteristics, knee pain, overall knee function, and health-related quality of life at baseline between the RCT and cohort groups using standardized differences, ratios comparing the variance of continuous covariates, and graphical methods such as quantile-quantile plots, side-by-side boxplots, and non-parametric density plots. RESULTS: Differences between RCT and the cohort were observed primarily in age (younger patients in the cohort; standardized difference: 0.32) and disease severity, with the RCT group having more severe symptoms (standardized difference: 0.38). While knee pain, overall knee function, and quality of life generally showed minimal differences between the 2 groups, it is noteworthy that the largest observed difference was in knee pain, where the cohort group scored 7 points worse (95% confidence interval 5-9, standardized difference: 0.29). CONCLUSION: Patients in RCTs were largely representative of those in cohort studies regarding baseline scores, though variations in age and disease severity were observed. Younger patients with less severe osteoarthritis were more common in the cohort; however, trial participants still appear to be broadly representative of the target population.

Influence of Self-Reported Knee Instability on Outcomes Following Education and Exercise: A Cohort Study of 2,466 Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of self-reported knee instability on changes in knee pain and gait speed following patient education and supervised exercise therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: We included patients enrolled in the Good Life With Osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA:D) program, an 8-week education and supervised neuromuscular exercise program. Patients were classified into 4 groups according to their level of self-reported knee instability (never; rarely; sometimes; most of the time or all the time). Knee pain intensity was evaluated on a 0-100 mm scale and gait speed from the 4 × 10 meters fast-paced walk test at baseline and after the program. Using linear regression, we examined the association between knee instability and the change in pain and gait speed, respectively. Sex, age, body mass index, physical activity level, and previous knee surgery were covariates in adjusted models. RESULTS: Among 2,466 patients with knee OA, mean baseline pain and gait speed varied between 38-59 mm and 1.39-1.56 meters/second in patients experiencing no instability and patients experiencing instability most or all the time, respectively. All instability groups improved in pain and gait speed. Compared to the no instability group, patients reporting instability most or all the time experienced larger improvements in pain (4.3 mm [95% confidence interval 1.2, 7.5]), while no difference between instability groups was found for gait speed. CONCLUSION: Knee OA patients with self-reported instability seem to benefit even more from a patient education and supervised exercise therapy program than OA patients without instability.

Declining trends in arthroscopic meniscus surgery and other arthroscopic knee procedures in Denmark: a nationwide register-based study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A doubling of arthroscopic meniscal procedures was observed in Denmark from 2000 to 2011, but arthroscopic meniscal procedures for degenerative meniscal tears are no longer recommended. We performed an updated investigation of Danish meniscal procedure trends in the private and public healthcare sectors in Denmark from 2006 to 2018, including trends for other arthroscopic knee procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We extracted data on the 5 most commonly registered arthroscopic knee procedures (diagnostic arthroscopy, meniscal surgery, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, synovectomy, and cartilage resection) from the Danish National Patient Register from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2018, linked with the Danish Population Statistic Register, to obtain data on age and sex. RESULTS: 414,253 arthroscopic knee procedures were registered during 315,290 surgeries on 244,113 individual patients in the study period. For meniscal procedures, the highest incidence was observed in 2010 (319 per 105 persons/year, 95% CI 314-323) and the lowest in 2018 (173 per 105 persons/year, CI 169-176), corresponding to relative decrease of 46% from 2010 to 2018. Remaining arthroscopic procedures also showed declining trends, with lowest incidence for all procedures in 2018. INTERPRETATION: A large decrease in the incidence for arthroscopic meniscal procedures was observed from 2010 to 2018, possibly in response to mounting evidence of limited benefit of this procedure for degenerative knee disease. All other investigated arthroscopic knee procedures also declined in the same period.

Early Surgery or Exercise and Education for Meniscal Tears in Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is commonly used to treat meniscal tears; however, to our knowledge, no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared surgery with nonsurgical alternatives in young adults. We hypothesized that early meniscal surgery would be superior to a strategy of exercise and education with the option of surgery later if needed. METHODS: In this pragmatic parallel-group RCT, we enrolled young adults (18-40 years of age) with magnetic resonance imaging­verified meniscal tears eligible for surgery from seven Danish hospitals. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to surgery (partial meniscectomy or meniscal repair) or 12-week supervised exercise therapy and education with the option of surgery later if needed. The primary outcome was the difference in change from baseline to 12 months in the mean score of four Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS4) subscales covering pain, symptoms, function in sport and recreation, and quality of life, ranging from 0 (worst) to 100 (best). RESULTS: We enrolled 121 young adults (mean age, 29.7 years; 28% were female). In total, 107 participants (88%) completed the 12-month follow-up; 16 participants (26%) from the exercise group crossed over to surgery, while 8 (13%) from the surgery group did not undergo surgery. Intention-to-treat analysis showed no statistically significant difference in change between groups from baseline to 12 months in KOOS4 scores (19.2 vs. 16.4 in the surgery vs. exercise groups; adjusted mean difference, 5.4 [95% confidence interval, −0.7 to 11.4]). No difference in serious adverse events was observed (four vs. seven in the surgery and exercise groups, respectively; P=0.40). Per-protocol and as-treated analyses yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that among young, active adults with meniscal tears, a strategy of early meniscal surgery is not superior to a strategy of exercise and education with the option of later surgery. Both groups experienced clinically relevant improvements in pain, function, and quality of life at 12 months, and one of four from the exercise group eventually had surgery. (Funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research, IMK Almene Fond, Lundbeck Foundation, Spar Nord Foundation, Danish Rheumatism Association, Association of Danish Physiotherapists Research Fund, Research Council at Næstved-Slagelse-Ringsted Hospitals, and Region Zealand; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02995551.)

Assessing baseline dependency of anchor-based minimal important change (MIC): don't stratify on the baseline score!

PURPOSE: The minimal important change (MIC) of a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) is often suspected to be baseline dependent, typically in the sense that patients who are in a poorer baseline health condition need greater improvement to qualify as minimally important. Testing MIC baseline dependency is commonly performed by creating two or more subgroups, stratified on the baseline PROM score. This study's purpose was to show that this practice produces biased subgroup MIC estimates resulting in spurious MIC baseline dependency, and to develop alternative methods to evaluate MIC baseline dependency. METHODS: Datasets with PROM baseline and follow-up scores and transition ratings were simulated with and without MIC baseline dependency. Mean change MICs, ROC-based MICs, predictive MICs, and adjusted MICs were estimated before and after stratification on the baseline score. Three alternative methods were developed and evaluated. The methods were applied in a real data example for illustration. RESULTS: Baseline stratification resulted in biased subgroup MIC estimates and the false impression of MIC baseline dependency, due to redistribution of measurement error. Two of the alternative methods require a second baseline measurement with the same PROM or another correlated PROM. The third method involves the construction of two parallel tests based on splitting the PROM's item set. Two methods could be applied to the real data. CONCLUSION: MIC baseline dependency should not be tested in subgroups based on stratification on the baseline PROM score. Instead, one or more of the suggested alternative methods should be used.

The translated Danish version of the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) is reliable and responsive.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) for use in Denmark and evaluate its test-retest reliability and comparative responsiveness. METHODS: Sixty patients (mean age 50 years (range 19-71 years), females 57%) with meniscal injury scheduled for arthroscopic meniscal surgery at a small Danish hospital in the period from September 2017 to February 2018 were included in this study. The WOMET was translated into Danish using forward and backward translation. The WOMET was completed at baseline (pre-surgery), at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Additionally, reliability was assessed at 3 months and 3 months plus 1 week, for patients with a stable symptom state (global response question) between test and retest. Comparative responsiveness was assessed between the WOMET and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS4-aggregate score of 4 of the 5 KOOS subscales). RESULTS: The Danish version of WOMET showed excellent test-retest reliability, intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.88 (95% CI 0.84-0.92) for the total score. The standard error of measurement was 125 points and the minimal detectable change was 347 points (i.e. 8% and 22% of the total score, respectively). The WOMET was responsive with an effect size (ES) of 1.12 at 6 months after surgery, which was comparable to the KOOS4 (ES 1.10). CONCLUSION: The Danish version of the WOMET is a reliable and responsive measure of health-related quality of life in patients with meniscal pathology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Less improvement following meniscal repair compared with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy: a prospective cohort study of patient-reported outcomes in 150 young adults at 1- and 5-years' follow-up.

Background and purpose - Meniscal repair may reduce long-term risk of knee osteoarthritis compared with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM), whereas patient-reported outcomes may be poorer at short term than for APM. We compared patient-reported outcomes in young adults undergoing meniscal repair or APM up to ∼5 years after surgery.Patients and methods - We included 150 patients aged 18-40 years from the Knee Arthroscopy Cohort Southern Denmark (KACS) undergoing meniscal repair or APM. Between-group differences in change in a composite of 4 of 5 Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales (pain, symptoms, sport and recreation, and quality of life-KOOS4) from baseline, 12, and 52 weeks, and a median of 5 years (range 4-6 years) were analyzed using adjusted mixed linear models, with 52 weeks being the primary endpoint.Results - 32 patients had meniscal repair (mean age 26 [SD 6]), and 118 patients underwent APM (mean age 32 [SD 7]). The repair and APM groups improved in KOOS4 from before to 52 weeks after surgery (least square means 7 and 19, respectively; adjusted mean difference -12, [95% CI -19 to -4] in favor of APM). Both groups improved further from 52 weeks to 5 years after surgery with the difference in KOOS4 scores between the groups remaining similar.Interpretation - Patients having meniscal repair experienced less improvements in patient-reported outcomes from baseline to 52 weeks and 5 years post-surgery. The findings highlight the need for randomized trials comparing these interventions in terms of patient-reported outcomes and knee OA development.

The Surgeon's Role in the Opioid Crisis: A Narrative Review and Call to Action.

Over the past two decades, there has been a sharp rise in the use of prescription opioids. In several countries, most notably the United States, opioid-related harm has been deemed a public health crisis. As surgeons are among the most prolific prescribers of opioids, growing attention is now being paid to the role that opioids play in surgical care. While opioids may sometimes be necessary to provide patients with adequate relief from acute pain after major surgery, the impact of opioids on the quality and safety of surgical care calls for greater scrutiny. This narrative review summarizes the available evidence on rates of persistent postsurgical opioid use and highlights the need to target known risk factors for persistent postoperative use before patients present for surgery. We draw attention to the mounting evidence that preoperative opioid exposure places patients at risk of persistent postoperative use, while also contributing to an increased risk of several other adverse clinical outcomes. By discussing the prevalence of excess opioid prescribing following surgery and highlighting significant variations in prescribing practices between countries, we note that there is a pressing need to optimize postoperative prescribing practices. Guided by the available evidence, we call for specific actions to be taken to address important research gaps and alleviate the harms associated with opioid use among surgical patients.

Early tibial subchondral bone texture changes after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in knees without radiographic OA: A prospective cohort study.

Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) may lead to changes in underlying trabecular bone (TB) structure potentially promoting the development of knee joint osteoarthritis. Our aim was to investigate if there are early changes occurring in tibial subchondral TB texture in the leg undergoing medial APM compared with the unoperated non-injured contra-lateral leg. The bone texture was measured as the medial-to-lateral ratio of fractal dimensions (FD) calculated for regions selected on weight-bearing anteroposterior tibiofemoral x-rays. Twenty-one subjects before and 12 months after APM were included from 374 patients scheduled for unilateral medial APM. The medial-to-lateral ratio was calculated for horizontal, vertical, and roughest FDs respectively. Higher FD means higher bone roughness. Each FD was calculated over a range of scales using a variance orientation transform method. Mean values of medial-to-lateral horizontal FD calculated for APM knees at follow-up were higher than those at baseline. For unoperated knees the values were lower. The difference in the horizontal FD change from baseline to follow-up between APM and contra-lateral legs was 0.028 (95% CI, 0.004-0.052). The bone roughness changes may reflect the increase in peak knee adduction moment (KAM) and KAM impulse during walking reported for the same cohort in a previous study. They may also reflect early signs of osteoarthritis development and thus, we speculate that individuals with increased bone texture roughness ratio after APM might be at higher risk of knee osteoarthritis development.

Patients with osteoarthritis are least likely to receive lifestyle advice compared with patients with diabetes and hypertension: A national health survey study from Denmark.

Objectives: To investigate the association between having osteoarthritis (OA), hypertension, or diabetes, either alone or in combination, and receiving guideline-recommended exercise or weight-reduction advice. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We applied logistic regression to analyse self-reported data from the 2017 Danish National Health survey (DNHS). We calculated the proportions and odds ratios of receiving exercise advice and weight-reduction advice (if BMI>30) from the general practitioner (GP) in seven patient groups: those with OA or hypertension or diabetes or any combination of these diseases. Results: From the 183,372 DNHS responders, we included 71,717 patients (≥45 years) who reported consulting a GP during the previous year. Among patients with only one disease, those with OA were least likely to receive exercise advice (13%, 1441/11,024) and weight-reduction advice (27%, 504/1877), while those with diabetes were most likely to receive these advice (32%, 387/1200 and 55%, 160/289, respectively).For OA-only patients, the adjusted odds ratios of receiving exercise advice and weight-reduction advice were 1.4 (95% CI 1.3 to 1.5) and 1.6 (95% CI 1.4 to 1.8), respectively, compared with patients with none of the three diseases. For diabetes-only patients, the adjusted odds ratios were 4.2 (95% CI 3.7 to 4.7) and 5.4 (95% CI 4.2 to 7.0), respectively. Conclusion: Few patients with OA self-reported having received guideline-recommended exercise advice, or weight-reduction advice if obese, from their GP. Furthermore, patients with OA were less likely to report having received these advice compared with patients with other chronic diseases.

Knee osteoarthritis risk is increased 4-6 fold after knee injury - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate knee osteoarthritis (OA) risk following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), meniscus or combined ACL and meniscus injury. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL and Web of Science until November 2018. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Prospective or retrospective studies with at least 2-year follow-up including adults with ACL injury, meniscal injury or combined injuries. Knee OA was defined by radiographs or clinical diagnosis and compared with the contralateral knee or non-injured controls. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS: Risk of bias was assessed using the SIGN50 checklist. ORs for developing knee OA were estimated using random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: 53 studies totalling ∼1 million participants were included: 185 219 participants with ACL injury, mean age 28 years, 35% females, 98% surgically reconstructed; 83 267 participants with meniscal injury, mean age 38 years, 36% females, 22% confirmed meniscectomy and 73% unknown; 725 362 participants with combined injury, mean age 31 years, 26% females, 80% treated surgically. The OR of developing knee OA were 4.2 (95% CI 2.2 to 8.0; I2=92%), 6.3 (95% CI 3.8 to 10.5; I2=95%) and 6.4 (95% CI 4.9 to 8.3; I2=62%) for patients with ACL injury, meniscal injury and combined injuries, respectively. CONCLUSION: The odds of developing knee OA following ACL injury are approximately four times higher compared with a non-injured knee. A meniscal injury and a combined injury affecting both the ACL and meniscus are associated with six times higher odds compared with a non-injured knee. Large inconsistency (eg, study design, follow-up period and comparator) and few high-quality studies suggest that future studies may change these estimates. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Patients sustaining a major knee injury have a substantially increased risk of developing knee OA, highlighting the importance of knee injury prevention programmes and secondary prevention strategies to prevent or delay knee OA development.PROSPERO registration number CRD42015016900.

Danish version of the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) questionnaire: a linguistic translation, cross-cultural adaptation and test-re-test reliability study.

Objective: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) into Danish and assess the reliability of the translated version. Methods: The NIH-CPSI was translated into Danish by a formalized translation procedure. Study participants suffering from Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS) were recruited from a CP/CPPS newsletter email-list. The translated questionnaire was tested for face validity by interviewing men (n = 7) suffering from CP/CPPS. Relative reliability (interclass correlations coefficient, ICC) and absolute reliability (minimal detectable change, MDC; and standard error of measurement, SEM) were assessed on an electronic version of the Danish NIH-CPSI, including a general response assessment of symptom stability at the second assessment. Results: One hundred and twenty-nine men volunteered for the test-re-test study, 43 did not fit the eligibility criteria or had incomplete tests and 27 were excluded due to symptom changes between test and re-test, leaving 59 participants for the reliability study. The relative reliability for the total NIH-CPSI score was found to be an excellent ICC of 0.93 (95% CI = 0.91-0.96). The absolute reliability for the total NIH-CPSI score revealed an MDC of 5.0 and a SEM of 1.8, corresponding to 12% and 4%, respectively, of the maximal obtainable NIH-CPSI score. Conclusion: The NIH-CPSI questionnaire was successfully translated and cross-culturally adapted into a Danish version. An electronic version of the Danish NIH-CPSI showed excellent reliability. The questionnaire is suitable for use as an outcome measure in research studies and may also be a useful tool in the clinical setting.

Changes in total lower limb support moment in middle-aged patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy - A longitudinal observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a meniscal tear are frequently treated with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) which may alter the net extension moment across the entire lower limb - known as the total support moment (TSM). PURPOSE: To investigate changes in TSM during walking in patients undergoing APM. METHODS: Three-dimensional motion analysis of walking was performed in individuals with meniscal tear prior to APM and 12 months after. Peak TSM, positive ankle (ASM), knee (KSM), and hip (HSM) moments at the time of peak TSM were calculated together with corresponding angular impulses. RESULTS: Patients (n = 20) were middle aged (45.9 ±â€¯6.3 years) and the majority male (70%). At baseline a lower KSM (mean [95%CI]; 0.59 Nm/BM ·â€¯HT% [-1.93; 3.11], P = 0.048) and a trend towards lower peak TSM (0.46 Nm/BM ·â€¯HT% [-1.82; 2.78], P = 0.099) were observed for the APM leg compared with the contralateral. Pre- versus post-APM change scores indicated a relative decrease in loading of the contralateral leg for peak TSM (-0.49 Nm/BM ·â€¯HT% [-0.96; -0.01], P = 0.047) and a trend towards a relative increase in loading of the APM leg for peak KSM (-0.41 Nm/BM ·â€¯HT% [-0.92; 0.09], P = 0.105). No differences were observed in angular impulse variables. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to APM a strategy to unload the injured knee was manifested by reduced KSM and a tendency to a reduced peak TSM. A more equal distribution of joint moments between injured and contralateral legs was observed 12 months following APM.

Room for improvement: a randomised controlled trial with nested qualitative interviews on space, place and treatment delivery.

OBJECTIVE: Healthcare-oriented design in hospitals can promote better clinical outcomes. Creating optimal facilities may increase treatment effects. We investigated the influence of the treatment room on effects of exercise therapy. METHODS: In a mixed-method randomised controlled double-blind trial, middle-aged individuals reporting knee or hip pain performed 8 weeks of exercise therapy in (1) a newly built physically enhanced environment, (2) a standard environment or (3) were waitlisted, receiving no intervention. Participants and therapists were blind to study aim. Primary outcome was participants' Global Perceived Effect (GPE; seven-point Likert scale). Six nested focus group interviews with participants (n=25) and individual interviews with therapists (n=2) explored experiences of the environments. RESULTS: 42 people exercised in the physically enhanced environment, 40 in the standard environment, 21 were waitlisted. Contrary to our hypothesis, the treatment response seemed greater in the standard environment for GPE (0.98, 95% CI0.5 to 1.4) than for the physically enhanced environment (0.37, 95% CI -0.2 to 0.9), between-group difference (0.61, 95% CI -0.1 to 1.3) did not reach statistical significance (p=0.07). Waitlist group reported no improvement (-0.05 95% CI -0.5 to 0.4). In interviews, participants from the standard environment expressed greater social cohesion and feeling at home. Qualitative themes identified; reflection, sense of fellowship and transition. Secondary patient-reported outcomes and qualitative findings supported the primary finding, while improvements in muscle strength and aerobic capacity did not differ between exercise groups. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the physical environment contributes to treatment response. Matching patients' preferences to treatment rooms may improve patient-reported outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02043613.

Association of specific meniscal pathologies and other structural pathologies with self-reported mechanical symptoms: A cross-sectional study of 566 patients undergoing meniscal surgery.

OBJECTIVES: We explored associations between specific meniscal pathologies and other concurrent structural knee pathologies with presence of self-reported mechanical symptoms in patients undergoing meniscal surgery. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We included patients undergoing surgery for a meniscal tear from Knee Arthroscopy Cohort Southern Denmark (KACS). Pre-surgery, patients completed online questionnaires including self-reported presence of mechanical symptoms. At arthroscopy, surgeons recorded information about specific meniscal pathologies and other concurrent structural knee pathologies. Relative risks (RR) were estimated to assess associations between specific meniscal pathologies and other structural knee pathologies with preoperative mechanical symptoms from multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: 566 of 641 patients (mean age 48.6[SD 12.9] years, 57% men) with complete data were included. 386 (68%) patients reported mechanical symptoms of knee catching/locking and/or extension deficit. Most evaluated joint pathologies were not associated with mechanical symptoms of any kind with RRs close to 1.0. Meniscal tears involving both the posterior and anterior horn (n=22) were associated with knee catching/locking (RR: 1.49[95%CI:1.15-1.93]), and a tear in both menisci (n=49) was associated with extension deficit of the knee (RR: 1.32[95%CI:1.01-1.73]). A partial (n=29) and total ACL rupture (n=37) were each associated with extension deficit (RR: 1.83[95%CI:1.47-2.28] and RR: 1.44[95%CI:1.05-1.98], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Limited associations between specific meniscal pathology and other concurrent knee joint pathologies with presence of self-reported mechanical symptoms were found in patients undergoing meniscal surgery. The findings question the clinical importance of mechanical symptoms as an indicator for arthroscopy for specific meniscal tears with the specific aim to relieve such symptoms.

Association of osteoarthritis risk factors with knee and hip pain in a population-based sample of 29-59 year olds in Denmark: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to a) describe the prevalence of knee and hip osteoarthritis risk factors in a population of 29-59 year old individuals, b) estimate the association between persistent knee/hip pain and osteoarthritis risk factors, and c) describe the prevalence of osteoarthritis risk factors, including specific biomechanical risk factors, in individuals with prolonged persistent knee or hip pain. METHODS: Participants completed the "Early Detection and Prevention" pilot study questionnaire, including items on presence of knee/hip pain within the last month and osteoarthritis risk factors. Individuals reporting knee/hip problems completed a second questionnaire, including items about most problematic joint and specific biomechanical osteoarthritis risk factors. After describing the prevalence of persistent knee/hip pain and osteoarthritis risk factors among respondents stratified for sex and age, logistic regression was used to estimate the strength of associations between osteoarthritis risk factors and presence of knee/hip pain. The prevalence of prolonged persistent pain (i.e. knee/hip pain reported at both questionnaires) and osteoarthritis risk factors among respondents with prolonged persistent knee and hip pain, were described. RESULTS: Two thousand six hundred sixty-one respondents completed the first survey. The one-month prevalence of persistent knee/hip pain was 27%. Previous knee/hip injury was associated with persistent knee/hip pain for both sexes in all age groups, while a family history of osteoarthritis was associated with persistent knee/hip pain in all age groups except for 29-39 year old men. A higher BMI was associated with persistent knee/hip pain in 40-59 year old women, and 50-59 year old men. Eight hundred sixty seven respondents completed the second questionnaire. Knee/hip injuries and surgeries were more common in individuals with prolonged persistent knee than hip pain. CONCLUSIONS: Knee/hip pain within the last month was frequent among individuals aged 29-59 years. Multiple known osteoarthritis risk factors were associated with presence of knee/hip pain. Joint injury and previous surgery were more common in individuals with knee than hip pain. The results support the notion that joint injury and overweight during early adulthood are signs of a trajectory towards symptomatic osteoarthritis later in life and may help earlier identification of groups at high risk of future symptomatic osteoarthritis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02797392 ). Registered April 29,2016.

A 12-week supervised exercise therapy program for young adults with a meniscal tear: Program development and feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and feasibility of an exercise therapy program for treatment of young adults (18-40 years of age) with a meniscal tear. METHODS: Researchers and experienced physical therapists developed a 12-week supervised neuromuscular and strengthening exercise therapy program based on clinical expertise and available evidence. Six patients (age range 22-39 years) considered eligible for meniscal surgery by an orthopedic surgeon underwent the program. Patients completed the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and evaluated the program during a semi-structured qualitative interview. Feedback from patients was included to finalize the exercise therapy program. RESULTS: Median improvements (Range) in KOOS subscales were 15 (0-33) for Pain, 11 (-11 to 50) for Symptoms, 16 (3-37) for Function in daily living, 23 (10-45) for Function in sport and recreation, and 9 (-6 to 31) for Quality of life. The patients found the program relevant and effective with only a few short-lasting adverse events and important clinical improvements after four to ten weeks. Physical therapist supervision was considered important. No patients wanted surgery up to 6 month after the exercise therapy program. CONCLUSION: A neuromuscular and strengthening exercise therapy program was feasible and showed important improvement in a small group of young adults with meniscal tears.